The Lucretia Affair
by DT-RH-JA-JB
Summary: One adventure that never made it to screens
1. Act 1   Who are you?

The Lucretia Affair

Illya Kuryakin dove under the beautiful blue-green water of the lagoon. He wore no special scuba gear or wetsuit but instead wore a tight-ish black t-shirt and dress pants. He left his shoes, socks and gun on the shore. His gadgets, though he was reluctant to part with them lay on the shore next to the shoes and socks. His holster, though remained on.

As he dove under the water Illya's hair halo'd around his head. His elegant movement cut through the water. The object the Thrush agent had dropped into the water was long gone.

During his search, Illya nearly ran into a woman. As his fingertips touched her shoulder, her prodigious eyes popped open and her mouth opened in a tiny 'o' of surprise. She quickly shot to the surface Before Illya touched her; anyone would have sworn she was dead.

Illya followed her gracefully to the surface. She shook her long strawberry-blonde, shoulder length hair out before it plastered itself to her forehead.

"Who are you?" The woman, appearing naked asked.

"Illya Kuryakin. I work for an agency called the U.N.C.L.E. An object was thrown into the water I went to retrieve it, and," he paused, "the same could be asked of you."

"Lucretia," She said extending her hand and continuing to kick her feet to avoid sinking, "And I dare say, anything that may have been thrown into that water, is long gone."

"Yes, I was afraid of that," Illya says ignoring her hand.

Lucretia moves past him towards land. Illya turns to follow this strange display and as she gets out of the water, Illya notices that she wasn't in fact naked but wearing a nude semi-transparent one piece that started at the chest and tied up the back. Under the dark water, anyone would have made the mistake. Lucretia walks over to a tree and puts on a pink floral robe and bright red heels.

"Whatever was thrown in that water," she says repeating herself and pinning her hair up as if to restart her train of thought, " you'd best get a replacement from your uncle."

She pauses before continuing, "Not to be presumptuous, Mr. Kuryakin, but perhaps you'd like a cup of tea back at my place?"

Lucretia gestures towards her house up the hill and smiles.

Lucretia and Illya are sitting on her couch in the living room of her house. Lucretia has changed into a more respectable outfit of wide pants and a dark blue and white striped top. Each holds a china tea cup and saucer.

"So, what exactly does U.N.C.L.E. do?" Lucretia asks him.

"Well, Lucretia, U.N.C.L.E. stands for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. We work with governments to prevent internal crime and to stop the efforts of a group called Thrush."

"Thrush? What an odd name for an organization. And please, Mr. Kuryakin, called me Lucy."

"Lucy," Illya repeats softly.

At that moment, two Thrush agents crash through her window. Illya quickly pushes Lucretia behind him. Lucy moves besides him.

"I will not be made to cower in my own house," she retorts, nostrils flaring.

One of the Thrush agents comes at her; an evil glint in his eye. Lucy karate-chops the wrist of the Thrush agent and he drops the gun. She picks it up off the floor. Illya flips the other one on his back before knocking him out and taking away his weapon. He looks at Lucy standing in the middle of her living room pointing a gun at the Thrush agent and sees that she wouldn't hesitate to use it if the Thrush agent gave her the reason. Illya knocks the agent out.

Lucy rounds on him gun pointed at his chest.

"Lucy, give me the gun," Illya says extending his hand towards her.

A look of recognition passes over her eyes where before there was only hatred. She hands him the gun without pause. Illya nods, happy that she handed the weapon over as he was uncertain of her ability with it and unwilling to be shot if she was in fact a turn coat.

"Have you ever seen the inside of a spy headquarters?" Lucy shakes her head 'no'.

* * *

Waverly's office, U.N.C.L.E headquarters, New York, New York. Alexander Waverly, Napoleon Solo, Illya Kuryakin, and Lucretia Killknave are standing around the rotating table in the middle of the room.

"You say you found Lucy here in the lagoon?" Mr. Waverly asks regarding Lucy with just a modicum of suspicion.

"Yes," Illya replies appearing equally flummoxed by their meeting in the small lake.

"What was she doing there?" Napoleon asks closing his briefcase and leaning on thigh on the table.

"I was meditating. The lagoon being so close to my house, I often go there to escape from the drudgery of life," Lucy says entering the conversation.

"But under the water?" Solo asks her.

A quick smile plays across her lips and Lucy looks at Illya briefly out of the corner of her eye.

"Never mind what she was doing down there, Napoleon," Illya admonishes his friend and frequent collaborator, "Why would Thrush be interested in Lucy is the question."

Lucy smiles and then realizes everyone is looking at her expecting an answer.

"I have no idea why they'd be interested in me. To my knowledge, I have done nothing to attract such attention and I certainly have no special talents that would be of use to anyone."

"Well, I'm sure that's not entirely true," Napoleon says gently to her and Illya shoots him a sideways glance.

"We need to figure out what they're up to and stop them before they can implement their plan." Mr. Waverly says.

"What can I do to help?"

"You can forget this ever happened to you," Napoleon says standing slowly, suddenly all business.

"I was attacked in my own home, that's not something one easily forgets."

"Lucy's right. It's too dangerous for her not to be involved," Illya says.

* * *

The nest day inside Lucretia's house in the hills, a house alone in a land where cabins typically prevailed, Lucy paces uncomfortably in loud pink and orange mod print dress and white flats. Illya, dressed as normal, checks on a few last minute touches around the room including an anti-spying device attached to one of her lamps.

"I'm not so sure about this, Mr. Kuryakin," Lucy says nervously.

"Don't worry, I'll be here in case something goes sideways," Illya says with a reassuring smile before hiding in her closet.

"Is it really the best idea to leave things to chance as to whether or not they're interested in me or something I own?" Lucy asks thin air.

"No but we don't have any other choice," Illya says his voice a bit muffled.

"And what if they aren't interested in my things? What if they want me? Certainly you won't let them take me, will you?"

"Of course not, but then we'll know why they were here yesterday if not what they wanted with you," Illya sighs. He knows this won't be easy but as eager as she is… "The goal is to interrogate whomever we can bait into coming here."

"Oh," Lucy says and sits on the sofa, trying to look more at ease.

She opens a book to page near the middle. She looks at the page and attempts to read it but her vision grows fuzzier the longer she looks at it. She stares at the page awhile before tossing the book aside frustrated.

"Can't we just talk?" Lucy pleads seemingly with no one.

"No," Illya says arms crossed rolling his eyes in the dark.

"Why not?" Lucy pleads turning on her sofa to be kneeling on it facing the door.

"Do you normally talk to yourself?"

"No, why?"

"We're trying to present a picture of normalcy. Thrush won't attack if you they don't think everything is perfectly normal."

"Well, normally I'd be swimming at this time of day and if Thrush is monitoring me as closely as you think they are, they'd know that."

Illya steps out of the closet and closes the door behind him.

"Alright, let's go swimming."

* * *

Lucy slide gracefully into the water, this time she's wearing a dark blue bathing suit with a hole cut out in the back and a matching cap to keep her hair from getting wet. Illya stands apprehensively at the edge of the water.

"Come on," Lucy says a little annoyed; she had suggested this venue because she wanted to have a little fun, not so that Illya could stare at her from the shore. Although she could think of worse people that could be staring at her, "You're not exactly being a covert spy."

"I really don't think I should," Illya says with a grimace and glance at the edge of the lake.

"Well, you can't protect me if you can't see me!" Lucy declares diving under the water and it wasn't long before even her shadow seemed to disappear.

Illya reluctantly strips to his shorts and follows where he had last seen her. He moves beautifully through the water and soon finds her, arm crossed in the middle of the lagoon. Waiting for him but not moving. Again she looks dead. Illya moves to check her pulse across the small distance between them; almost no heartbeat. Illya's own heart skips a beat.

_She can't be dead_, he thinks to himself,_ she can't. _

Illya moves to whisk her to the surface; to save her. He's certain she's in danger. But Lucretia floats a few feet away from him.

Undeterred and determined to save the damsel, Illya goes for her again, this time his arm under her legs to lift her. And she floats away again, this time with a small smile playing across her lips. Illya catches on and begins the chase.

_There's no harm in having a little fun,_ he thinks, _it might even get her to settle down later if Thrush does show. _

Lucy's big eyes pop open as the water from his movement rushes by her face and she weaves through the water like a dolphin to escape him. From one end of the lagoon to the other almost effortlessly. Lucy lets Illya chase her a bit before she allows capture. His arms around her, they break the surface of the water.

"That was fun!" Lucy says, gently breaking the grip Illya had on her.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Illya says voice devoid of sincerity, as it so often is.

Lucy turns to face him and starts to say something when a man shoots up from the water and grabs her from behind.

"Illya!" Lucy exclaims using his first time for the first time since meeting him. She wanted to say more but was unable to think of any words to say it.

Illya starts toward her.

"Don't move," the man from the water says, "Come any closer and my associate on the hill will shoot the girl."

Lucy tries to scream and the Thrush agent clamps his hand over her mouth. There's no one that would hear her but it would be a terrible annoyance. She bites down hard and the man on the hill shoots her in the neck – with a tranquilizer dart. Lucy pulls the dart out and faints, falling into the water.

Illya easily takes out the man in the water and dives to see Lucretia swimming under the water almost half asleep. A moment longer….When Illya puts his arm under her legs, she puts her arm around his shoulder and stops moving; a dead weight.

Illya then sees the reason Lucy was able to stay underwater so long without ever appearing to break the surface: a cavern hidden by the water. Illya pushes Lucy into the relatively small opening ahead of him with some difficulty and she floats to the top of the tiny lake inside the cavern in such a manner that Illya worries for a moment maybe he was too late. Maybe she had already drowned. Illya follows and as his head breaks the surface of the water, he sees the reason why someone would be after someone as "ordinary" as Lucretia.

"You lied," Illya says simply to the unconscious woman floating beside him.


	2. Act 2  I saved you didn't I?

Act II – "I saved you didn't I?"

Illya had lots of time to explore the laboratory while Lucy was out. To hear the machines hum and buzz in a rhythmic pattern, see the ticker tape run slowly from the machine and printing in an unknown language, and to feel the cool damp air as it gathers a breeze and ruffles his not quite dry hair. He was definitely going to question Lucretia about this when she woke up.

During this time, Illya also checked to see if the Thrush agents had gone. They had but they had sent a team to scan for their bodies. And Illya got the impression if the agents found them alive, it would be the end. At least for him. He was just beginning to doze when Lucretia awoke.

"Illya?" Lucy asks still groggy from the tranquilizer.

"Hmm?" Illya says with a start.

Lucy looks around and realizes where she is. Lucy quickly stands, and though a little wobbly on her pins, manages to pull on a lab coat hanging from a coat rack by the entrance. She takes off her bathing cap and long, thick, wavy blonde hair cascades down around her shoulders. She walks over to a machine and looks at the print out.

"That's not good," She says lurching pat Illya, who sits on the floor, to check another machine, "That's … better…."

Lucy takes a long syringe from beside the computer and walks over to the lake entrance to the lab. She draws a sample and then runs it through the computer closest to the entrance.

"Hmmmmm…." she says frustrated and walks over to Illya and smells him.

"What are you doing?" he asks a little apprehensively.

"Do you wear cologne?" she asks.

"No, why?" Illya replies.

"It messes with the Ph factor of the water."

"Oh?"

"You see everything here is run on water."

"That's an unusual method."

"But you see it isn't really. Using water to power machines goes back before the beginning of the Industrial Revolution when people used running water to power looms and in ancient China when they used water to power grinding stones. The only difference is that my machines run on the organisms in the water. You see, the introduction or change of any one of these compounds could cause the computers and machines to malfunction or worse."

"What do the machines do?"

"That's a secret," she says with a small smile flickering across her lovely features.

"And the language the data is in?"

"A language so old hardly anyone even speaks it any longer. When I die there won't even be anyone on this continent that can read it. "Lucy says sadly of the Welsh that ran the computers, "The machines are designed to power down after three days if no one gives them instructions. This is too important to have fall into the wrong hands."

"Then why don't you tell me about it?" Illya coaxes gently.

"I'm still not sure I can trust you."

"Oh."

Lucy taps a few buttons on what Illya assumes is the main control panel. A door opens. Illya moves towards it. She holds up a hand for him to stop. Wordlessly Lucy picks up a scrap bit of 2x4 and throws it across the open doorway. It explodes in a cloud of ash. Illya's eyes go wide. Lucy walks back to the machine and taps a few more commands. A Plexiglas screen slides over the small opening in the floor that they had entered through. A few more key taps before Lucy even looks at Illya again.

"After you," She says with a wicked grin.

* * *

Illya and Lucy are walking in a tunnel. It is roughly dug out and Illya marvels at how Lucy can walk on the uneven surface without the aid of shoes.

"Where does this lead?" Illya asks.

Lucy pulls open a door. A door, only a moment ago, Illya would have sworn was a dead end.

"You'll see," Lucy says.

Illya quickly follows her and she closes the door sealing them in the pitch black. A hiss erupts loudly as a match is struck against the wall. A hand holds the match to a torch on the wall and the torch is picked up by Lucy. She slides the book of matches back into her pocket. She then walks to the end of the long hallway and picks up an extinguished torch from a bucket before placing that one on the hook of the last. They walk a little farther.

"Hold this," Lucy says and unceremoniously thrusts the torch at Illya.

Lucy presses against a panel on the wall and the wall slides away to reveal Lucy's living room. She throws the torch in a bucket of water dosing the flame before hanging it in the open bracket by the entrance. She steps into the living room and Illya follows closely. Lucy turns nearly running into him. She smiles sheepishly before hanging the coat next to the torch, reaching around Illya to do so.

The two of them step into the living room and Lucy pulls on the finials to the left of the fireplace and the entrance to the tunnel closes.

"Very impressive," a voice says from the couch.

Lucy looks over and sees a man on the couch. Dressed like an U.N.C.L.E. agent and sitting cross legged he points an old Webley '38 squarely at Illya's chest.

"Step over here or he gets it."

Lucy doesn't take her eyes off the man as she reaches behind herself and moves a small box on the mantel piece imperceptivity to the left.

"Just don't shoot," she says taking big, slow, deliberate steps towards the man.

"That's far enough," He says, "You too, blondie"

Illya points at himself and the man nods. He steps by Lucy. The man half circles them on his way to the fireplace.

"Sit down."

They sit on the sofa. The man pulls on the finial next to the fireplace the way Lucy had and -nothing happens. He pulls harder almost yanking it off the wall.

"Don't" Lucy yells standing. Illya gently pulls her back down next to him.

"Why not, Sweetheart?" The man asks.

"The controls…."

"What about them?"

"They're isomorphic"

"Excuse me?

"Isomorphic. They only respond to my touch." Lucy explained nervously.

"Get over here," he says gesturing at her with the gun.

"No!" Lucy yells grabbing Illya's own gun from under the sofa cushion and firing.

The man slumps to the floor dead.

"Where did you get that?" Illya asks angrily.

"I took it off you earlier. In case of an emergency."

"Give it to me," Illya snaps.

Lucy hands him the gun and walks up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Are the controls really isomorphic?" he calls after her.

"Of course not! That's science fiction!" Lucy declares slamming the door.

* * *

The door to Lucy's bedroom remained closed and locked for some time. Well past dark in fact.

"Lucy!" Illya yells through the door, half horse from the effort.

"Go away!"

"Do not make me come and get you!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

Illya marches down the hall to the window and climbs out. Lucy's door opens a crack. She peers out and seeing that he's gone, slips down the stairs.

In her bedroom, Illya climbs through the window to find the room empty except for a note on the bed. Illya picks up said note. It reads: "I was only trying to help. I saved you didn't I?"

Illya sighs and sits on the bed still in his underwear from the swim.

A shoe nearly smacks him in the face. Illya moves towards where it fell when the mate hits him in the back of the head. Illya turns irritatedly around and picks up both shoes. They're his.

Illya carries the shoes with him down stairs and sees his clothes in a neat folded pile on the sofa under a note: "Kitchen."

Illya walks to the kitchen and sees a lavish display on the table. Food of every type imaginable lay on plates and in bowls on the large table. Lucretia sis at the table wearing an exquisite red gown; her hair up and a pair of matching gloves lay on the table beside her. She looks like she should be in a Marilyn Monroe movie instead of in her kitchen under attack.

"Get dressed," She says tersely and unfolding a napkin

Illya obliges her and pulls on the clothes. When he's finished he sits across from her.

"Wash," She says almost completely disinterested in him.

Again Illya humors her and then sits back down. The meal continues wordlessly. Lucy presents the picture of the perfect host…until Illya says anything and then after a surly reply, she'd go back to having the appearance of the perfect hostess.

"I thought you'd be different," Lucy says suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"When you insisted I be in the loop, I thought you'd be different. But instead all you do is what every man does and tries to tell me my place. I thought you trusted me."

"I do but when you do things like that, pulling my gun on someone, I truly have to wonder where your loyalties lie. Do you expect me to die for you?"

"Yes – No!" She says quickly, "I mean I thought that's what you do. Protect the damsel in distress. Save her from the dragon."

"You're no damsel," Illya says playfully.

Lucy unfortunately doesn't see it that way. Instead she stands calmly from the table and walks off.

"Lucy!" Illya calls after her.

She doesn't stop. Illya chases her through the large house to her bedroom. Lucretia tries to slam the door in his face but Illya pushes the door open with his forearm.

"I'm sorry," He says as she throws herself on the bed.

"No, you're not. Don't lie to me!" She yells but her voice is muffled by the bedding.

Illya sits next to her and puts his hand on her shoulders. She turns away angrily.

"Don't touch me!" Lucy half screams, half sobs.

Illya forcefully puts his hands back on her shoulders and pulls her to him. He kisses her roughly on the lips, then releases her quickly. Lucy stares at him in stunned silence breathing heavily.

A beeping interrupts what should have been a private moment. Lucy blinks and walks over to the mirror to readjust her hair and to give the impression of giving Illya space while he talks on his communicator.

"Illya Kuryakin," he answers in to his pen communicator.

"Mr. Kuryakin," Mr. Waverly says on the other end, "I've been trying to reach you all afternoon."

"I misplaced my communicator."

"Ah. What's your progress with Miss Killknave?"

Illya does not reply to this message. There's no way Waverly could know…. Lucy just stares at him leaning against the vanity.

"Mr. Kuryakin?"

"Yes, sir?"

"What have you found out?" Waverly demands impatiently.

"Lucretia has an underground lab."

"What is its purpose?"

"She won't tell me."

"Why not?"

"I don't know," Illya says pointedly looking at Lucretia, "And there's something else."

"Oh?"

"We were shot at twice today."

"I see perhaps you should come in."

"No," Lucy says from across the room, "I can't leave my lab."

"Very well then Mr. Kuryakin, it looks like you'll be staying awhile."

Illya then puts the pen away. Lucy stares at herself in the mirror.

"Help me out of this thing will you?" She asks referring to the dress.

Illya stands from his position on the bed and walks over to her. Lucy stands facing the mirror. Illya's hand pauses for a moment on her back before sliding down the zipper. Lucy steps out of the dress and into his arms. He holds her there against his chest not making a move but just looking at her in the mirror. Lucy stands there enjoying the warmth of him against her back. Neither one of them spoke for a long time.

"Is this how you imagined?" Lucy asks him breaking the silence.

Illya says nothing he just picks her up, leaving her gown on the floor, and places her on the clam shell shaped bed. He turns to leave.

"Don't go," Lucy pleads softly sitting up and taking her hair down.

Illya turns back around.

"I only feel safe in your arms," Lucy explains.

Illya walks slowly over to her and drops his jacket on the ground. He next removes his belt and tie and nothing else. Lucy holds his gaze as she stands and puts on a white floor length nightgown. The lacy on the collar and sleeves almost makes her look like a little girl. Lucy lay on the bed next to Illya. Neither of them speaking. Neither of them touching.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy lay on Illya's chest, his arm around her. She wasn't sleeping but she wasn't awake either. She was just studying the beautiful man she had the good fortune to have assigned to her. She wouldn't forget a single detail on his face until the day she died. Lucretia began to fantasize about what it would be like to be in a relationship with Illya. She knew. She just knew that he would be wonderful once she got to know him. He was wonderful now…

A beeping sound interrupts her reverie. Lucy closes her eyes to the intrusion on her perfect morning.

_If I can't hear it, it doesn't exist._

Below her Illya stirred. He left the arm around Lucy and with his free hand checks his communicator. It wasn't beeping. He looks at Lucy's watch. It is beeping.

"Lucy," Illya gently coos.

"Hmmm?"

"Your watch is beeping."

"Yes, I know. Just ignore it."

"What if it's important?"

Lucy rolls off him onto the other side of the bed. She stands and walks to the bathroom. When the door closes behind her, she starts running the taps. She checks her watch.

"What is it?" Lucy demands of the watch.

"Lucretia Killknave! Is that anyway to speak to your superior officer?" the voice snaps back.

"I'm in the middle of my assignment."

"You've captured an U.N.C.L.E. agent?" the woman on the other end asked excitedly.

"So to speak, he thinks he's protecting me."

"From what?"

"From you!"

"Dear child, your only supposed to kill the U.N.C.L.E. swine not play house with them. Thrush central will not be happy when they hear about this."

"I ask only for clemency. I thought that if I could convince Illya to trust me, that Waverly would as well and then when Illya died he would send another agent to "protect me". And we could kill to agents with one trap so to speak."

"You gave it a name?"

"I'll be in shortly," Lucretia says voice cracking with emotion.

Lucretia snaps the watch shut and begins to cry. 


	3. Act 3 He made a sandwich

Act III – "He made a sandwich!"

Lucretia composes herself and splashes cold water on her face before coming out of the bathroom. She had to look as though nothing had happened. She didn't want Illya to suspect anything. She walked slowly down the short hall back to the bedroom.

"What was that about?" Illya asks on her return.

"One of the machines paged me to say that the lock on the exterior entrance has been breached," Lucy says pulling on a robe.

"I'll go with you," Illya says standing.

"No, I'll be fine," Lucy says hurrying from the room.

Illya tries to follow her but the entrance is locked from the inside. Even if she wanted his help, there was nothing he could do for her.

* * *

Illya, having decided to raid the fridge, walks into the kitchen to see a man there, sitting at the tiny table in her kitchen eating a Dagwood sandwich. The food that had been left out over night had been put away, presumably by this man.

"What are you still doing here? I mean stick 'em up!" The man says dropping the sandwich a brandishing a gun.

Illya rolls his eyes and pick up a knife from the counter. He advances on the man.

"Who are you?" Illya demands attacking, "What are you doing here?"

"I'll shoot!"

"Drop it!" Lucy yells from the doorway, a shotgun in her hands.

Both men turn to look at her. Neither one of them expecting this and neither one sure what to do.

"Both of you!" She yells.

"Now see here, Lady," The mystery man says.

"Not today, not now," Lucy growls.

The man drops his gun on the Formica floor.

"You too, Illya," Lucy says gesturing at the knife.

Illya drops the knife hopping Lucy has a plan.

"Now get out," Lucy yells but neither man moves, "Get out!"

The man runs out.

"This day is too much," Lucretia mutter sinking to the ground.

"Who was he?"

"No one."

"He made a sandwich!"

"A presumptuous no one," Lucy says.

"Why won't you tell me anything? I'm trying to help you."

"No one can help me," Lucy says skirting away from Illya.

"Lucy," Illya says putting his arm around her, "Please."

* * *

Illya and Lucy are in his car. Lucy's long hair is curled under a red pill box hat. In fact she wears all red except for a set of pearls, gold post earring, and her watch. Illya's driving. His attire is still a black suit, tie, and shoes with a white shirt. The only thing different is that now he wears a chauffeur hat. He wears it for no reason other than Lucy said it looked brilliant on him.

They arrive in front of Del Floria's tailor shop. Illya steps out, opens Lucy's car door for her, and helps her out of the car. Lucy holds Illya's hand the way only a lover could. No other signs of affection pass between them. Illya nods at Del Floria and is instantly granted access to U.N.C.L.E. headquarters New York division.

"Good morning!" The secretary says chirpily.

"Good morning," Illya says a lot less enthusiastically.

The secretary hands Illya a yellow triangular badge that reads "2" he pins it on his jacket. Illya takes the number "23" badge from the secretary to pin onto Lucretia's blouse. They do not resume holding hands.

The two of them enter Waverly's office a few moments later. Illya pulls out the chair for Lucretia.

"Thank you," She says with a small smile, removing her hat and clasping her hands on the table.

"Miss Killknave, since you won't tell my agents what your computers do…."

"They are the computers of the future," Lucy says simply.

"Mr. Waverly," a secretary's voice says from the box on his desk.

"Yes, Miss Jones?"

"Radar is offline."

"What?"

"The radar is offline. We can't see anyone coming at us."

"Alright, I'll send a technician," He presses a button on the box, "Johnson. Go down to defense, they're having trouble with their radar."

"Yes, Sir," The voice chirps.

"Sir?" The secretary says sounding a little more distressed this time.

"What is it?" Waverly asks.

"All the defense systems are down."

Everyone in the room stops what they were doing. Even Lucy recognizes the gravity of that statement.

"Alright," Waverly says stunned.

"I think I'd better take Lucy home now," Illya says a little nervously, "it might be safer."

"Alright Mr. Kuryakin, we'll continue this debriefing tomorrow."

_If we're still here,_ Illya thinks to himself.

Lucy stands and puts her hat on, titled a little to the side.

"Sir?" The secretary says voice filled with fear.

"The Del Floria entrance has opened and it won't close."

"Tell Del Floria this is not the time for one of his practical jokes."

"I did. He said he didn't do it and the other entrances are reporting similar problems."

"Shall we?" Illya asks grasping Lucy's hand.

Not waiting for a response, he bolts from the room and leads Lucy down a hallway that was becoming more and more crowed the further they get. Lucy barely has time to marvel at how superb he looks. His fluid motion with no wasted movement propels him farther and farther down the hallway. Lucy marvels at him – and wonders how she was supposed to keep up. Loath to admit it but she had fallen in love.

The lights turn red and start flashing. Illya runs even faster. Lucy almost falls behind. Illya would have caught her if she had fallen.

_If we don't get out within the next thirty seconds, we'll be trapped with whom or whatever is invading U.N.C.L.E._ Illya thinks not daring to sat it out loud and worry Lucretia. There was just something about her….

Illya makes it to a door which slams with an awful finality to it.

"We're gonna die," Lucy moans beside him.

"No, we're not," Illya says seeing the door at the end of the hall still open.

Illya throws himself under it and Lucy follows hot on his heels. It slams just as the heel of her shoe clears the small opening. Illya stands and pulls Lucy to her feet. They run past agents and secretaries too confused to dumbfounded to move. In another time Illya may have been fighting to save them, but now he was fighting to save Lucy and maybe just maybe if something did happen to U.N.C.L.E. headquarters there would be someone on the outside that could help those to .

The next door is already closing when they get there. Lucretia slides under just before Illya this time and the adjacent door, the one they need to clear to be free, slams shut as she reaches it.

"No!" Lucy yells smacking her hands against the cool steel surface. Slowly, she sinks to her knees.

Realization dawns over her face.

Illya sinks down next to her. Lucy shivers and Illya puts his coat around her, careful to take the triangular badge off the lapel and place it in his pocket. If the security system ever was restored it wouldn't do to have an agent without a badge setting off the alarms all over again.

The outer door opens. Illya stands quickly and moves against the other wall. Lucy stands next to him. The light is blinding and they squint against it trying to see whoever may have saved them. Or doomed them. Lucy's corneas feel like they are burning. She closes her eyelids to the light and puts her face against Illya's chest.

Two Thrush agents appear in the light. Illya flattens himself against one of the side walls, Lucy still pressed against his chest. The Thrush agents walk past them. One of the agents starts laying explosive to open the door. The other one talks on a device not unlike Illya's own communicator in rapid fire Romanian. Illya can pick out just about every third word. Lucy knows every word by heart.

_We're here. The explosives have been laid. I have Lucretia. I have a hostage. Should I kill him? Yes Sir. Yes Sir._

The agent on the com unit looks at Lucy.

"You two," he says gesturing at them with a handgun, "Get back."

They move as the door explodes off its hinges. Lucy looks up. The Thrush agent smiles at her creepily. Lucy gives him a wan smile. The tall one who set the explosives motions for them to follow. One of the agents touches a button on his watch and the red alert stops. Illya take Lucy aside. Or as aside as one can be with the opposition breathing down your neck.

"Don't you think that watch is a little girly for him?"

"So?"

"That man is controlling our system with a wrist watch not unlike your own."

"A coincidence. Don't you believe me?"

Illya does not answer.

"Don't you love me," She asks tears in her eyes. She's not saying this to manipulate but that it would break her heart if he said no.

"I do."

"Please." _For the day you know I'm having. For the hell you know I'm living._

"I love you," Illya says and hands her a handkerchief from the pocket of his jacket to wipe away her budding tears.

He smiles sweetly and sincerely, clasping his arms behind her back.

"You really have him hooked don't you?" the man asks in thickly German accented Romanian.

"It's no hook," she fires back in the code language, "I love him."

Illya begins to worry about this strange woman he has fallen in love with.

"Love," The man scoffs in English, "You two in here."

Illya and Lucy are ushered into a room with no windows. An interrogation room in friendlier times; who knew what it'd be now. Illya tries the code to open the door. It works.

"Why did that work?" Lucy asks.

"It shouldn't have," Illya agrees.

The pair walk out.

"Stop!" An U.N.C.L.E. agent yells at them.

"It's okay," Illya says holding his hand up to the man. Illya shows his badge to him.

"Alright," he says letting them pass.

The barriers blocking their way were long since removed. It's a progression that seems almost out of a dream. It shouldn't be this easy…..

Lucy rounded the seemingly innocuous corner first. She shouldn't have.

A bullet sliced into her chest. The first few seconds of the agonizing moment were in slow motion for Illya. He could save countless people simply by being in the right place at the right time but the woman he loved? Even if he had a time machine, he couldn't have saved her.

Lucy didn't even feel it at first. Something made her pause and then she continued as if nothing had happened.

"Lucy," Illya said in such a tone that she stopped dead in her tracks, "You've been shot."

"Don't be –"She looks down, "I don't even feel it."

Illya just looked at her.

"My heart… is slowing….but I'm so…." Lucy said and sank to her knees.

The man who shot her showed himself, his gun still smoking.

"Lucretia Killknave, you are a traitor to Thrush," he said. 


	4. Act 4 Meeting you

Act IV – "Meeting you made my heart betray me"

The man who shot Lucretia walked away from her and said into his watch, "It's done."

"You work for them?" Illya asked her in disbelief.

"Y-yes," She said her breath becoming labored now.

"How could you?" he asked.

"It's who I am," She says before correcting herself, "It's who I was…. b-b-before I met you. I-I met you and my heart betrayed me. A Thrush agent is never supposed to love. Not even her own family.

"I didn't lie," She said desperate for him to know that, "You have to believe me."

Illya was silent; unsure as to whether she'd been playing him this whole time – and whether she was still playing him now.

"I do," He said after a moment. Tears welled in his beautiful blue eyes.

"Promise.

"I promise."

Illya, surprisingly strong for his size, lifted her and carried her to an empty office. He lay her on an empty desk.

"Hold me," Lucy asked and Illya indulged her – perhaps for the last time. He maneuvered their bodies so that she lay in his lap and could see him from her prone position.

"I-I-I," she stammered her breath even more labored than before.

"Save your breath," Illya urged her breathily.

His hand was pressed against her wound. A folded handkerchief the only barrier between his hand and her flesh.

"I signaled a doctor," He said.

"You couldn't have. There … wasn't enough time. I would – I would have seen you."

"I'm stealth," he said with a smile.

Lucy smiled too and started a low laugh. But even that proved to be too much for her, as the laugh turned to coughing.

"I don't have long now," She said.

"Don't say that," Illya said eyes brimming with salty water.

"I was dead the moment I met you. I-I don't wish I never met you, I don't mean that," she paused, "I'm thirsty."

"I'll go…" Illya started.

"Don't leave me. I'm scared."

"Of death?"

She nodded, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Illya said sadly and barely perceptible.

Lucretia didn't say a word but a faint smile played across her lips.

"Lucy…."

Her big eyes closed for the final time. Illya gently shook her body to try and wake her. No response.

"Lucy…." Illya said more urgently, tear streaming down his handsome face.

He put his hand to her wrist. No pulse. No breath. No signs that she was ever alive, let alone in the last few moments. Illya whispered something in her ear, knowing that hearing is the last sense to die and hoping she still hears him. Illya wiped away his tears with one hand. He then calmly moved her off his lap onto the desk. He stood and walked over to the doorway of the office. Illya took out his pen communicator.

"Open channel D." a pause for the channel to open then, "Lucy is dead."

Illya closed the communicator and walked out of the office.

* * *

The first Thrush agent he saw was a man in the standard Thrush uniform. He resembled nothing of the man that shot Lucy but that didn't stop Illya from shooting him. No mercy. Along his way back to Waverly's office, Illya saw many other Thrush agents all mysteriously acting as if they were leaving. They're all take out simply and easily. Illya usually enjoyed the fight but now, his heart just wasn't in it. No joy. Only death to everyone who stood in his way.

The door to Waverly's office was open. Napoleon sat next to Waverly behind the revolving table.

"Ah, Mr. Kuryakin," Waverly said and put down the file he had been reviewing with Solo.

"Sir," Illya said briefly. He remained standing despite the open invitation of a seat.

"I was sorry to hear about Miss Killknave," Waverly said.

"Right," Illya said belligerently.

"Although it seems after her death, the Thrush agents left."

Illya looked behind him at the hallway and then back to Waverly.

"Most anyways," Waverly said, "We can speculate that killing Lucretia was their main objective in this mission."

"She was one of them," Illya said a little quietly.

"I'm sorry?"

"You should be."

"Mr. Kuryakin?" he asked.

"Mr. Kuryakin!" he yelled.

Illya ignored him and walked out of U.N.C.L.E. headquarters.

* * *

We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement without who, this fan fiction would not have been possible.


End file.
